Monday 1 November
Correction Day - Student free
Tuesday 2 November
Melbourne Cup public holiday
Wednesday 3 November
All students return to full time onsite learning
Monday 8 – Friday 12 November
Year 11 exams
Thursday 11 and Friday 12 November
Year 10 exams
In the last fortnight, our staff and students have experienced a number of important milestones, some anticipated and considered part of normal school life, while others are more particular to the context in which we currently find ourselves.
It was a real joy to recently welcome our Class of 2021 on the final formal day of their secondary education. We enjoyed a colourful and memorable Year 12 breakfast celebration on the oval before students returned to Homerooms to spend a final moment with their Year 12 Homeroom teachers, open their time capsules and reminisce on their younger selves. Students then enjoyed a final online assembly that they created. In the afternoon, the Class of 2021 celebrated the next milestone at a Graduation ceremony where each student was presented with her Graduation certificate and special awards were announced.
The Class of 2021 and I have a special connection, having started at Our Lady of Sion College at the same time. It was a real privilege to reflect on their first day when they arrived as fresh-faced, twelve-year-olds in 2016; to recall their growth and development over the last six years and to then acknowledge the contribution they have made to the College during this time. I thank them for the passion and compassion they demonstrated during their time at the College, and for how willing they were to always engage with staff and students at all year levels. During the last six years, they generated many ideas to engage their peers and were always willing to take responsibility to help these ideas come to fruition. In the last two years, they have displayed great persistence and determination in the face of an extraordinary global event. During their SWOTVAC period, they kept their teachers very busy with many practice exams, again a testament to their determination to try their hardest.
I thank them and congratulate them for the chapter they have added to the history of Our Lady of Sion College. On Wednesday, they began their VCAA written examinations which will conclude on 17 November. We keep the Class of 2021 in our thoughts and prayers as they experience the final milestone of their secondary education before moving beyond our school gates to embrace all the wonderful possibilities that await them.
Over the last week, we have also been very pleased to welcome the return of our Years 7-11 students, albeit in a staggered manner. It has been wonderful to see them reconnect and once again fill their classrooms with excitement, chatter and increased engagement in their lessons. Resilience is a term we often use to describe what we believe young people need to develop. Perhaps, it is time to acknowledge that they already possess this attribute as we have witnessed over the last two years. They have certainly learned much from adversity and are already taking greater responsibility for themselves and others.
To this end, as we move into welcoming all year levels back onsite full time next week, it is very important that students continue to follow the health protocols. The College has a moral and legal obligation to ensure student and staff safety is upheld at all times. I ask that parents and guardians also remind their daughters of the importance of masks, hand hygiene and maintaining physical distance, as much as possible. While it is wonderful to know we are about to experience greater freedoms, we must also accept that transmission will occur, but we should always aim to minimise this.
The College has developed protocols for managing a COVID incident that are aligned to the Department of Health directives. As outlined in my letter (dated 28 October 2021), if a student tests positive or is identified as a Primary Close Contact, parents and guardians are required to inform the College by contacting Christine Kralj who will advise the next steps. The College will then evaluate the particular situation with the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools and the Department of Health, and confirm any required closures with relevant families.
Finally, I take this opportunity to acknowledge the dedication of our Parents' Association (PA), in particular Ms Vesna Wirth, who has held the role of President over the last two years. Vesna has led the committee with a great commitment to ensuring the needs of our students and the broader community are always at the forefront of the PA’s work. Vesna is to be commended for also inspiring a number of parents to begin to ‘shadow’ the office bearers so that in the years ahead, the Parents' Association can continue to go from strength to strength. Finally, congratulations and thank you to our newly elected parents for the great work they will undertake in the next twelve months:
President: Cassandra Hill
Vice President: Vicky Burgio
Secretary: Caroline Athey
Treasurer: Melanie Hosie
With every blessing for the fortnight ahead.
Tina Apostolopoulos
'I’m scared,' she said.
It was the response that one of our Year 12 students gave me on her last day at our College.
Our Yr 12s graduated last week and we have now farewelled them.
'How are you feeling about finishing?,' I naively asked.
'I’m scared,' she said.
Wow! I wasn’t expecting that.
I thought there was an opening here – an opportunity to unpack this – and so I took it.
The student began to roll out a litany of amazing opportunities she had experienced at Our Lady of Sion College. She recalled walking through the cherry red gates for the very first time. She remembered the argument she had with her mum about her uniform being too big. She remembered being greeted and welcomed by a Year 12 student (and even remembered her name!), learning the violin for the first time, camp – all the camps, Year 9 City experience, and ballroom dancing in Year 10. She shared with me the friends she had started with and the new friends she now had. She shared stories of her teachers and funny moments in class. She even recalled a Chapel session where we were giving thanks inside the Chapel for the wonders of God’s creation, and how we had then invited everyone to go outside into the garden at the front of the school and look around to see God's creation.
Having listened to all of this, I again naively asked, 'So why are you scared?'
'I love this school, Mr Mc,' she said. 'I’m scared that the “real world” will never be as good as this school. People really care about you here. You feel loved here.'
Wow! I wasn’t expecting that either. How do you respond to something like that? If anyone has any ideas, I’d welcome them. Send me an email.
I’ll be honest, I was a bit lost for words – pretty rare for those who know me well!
All I could say was the word – HOPE. I said that I hope everything that she had experienced throughout her time at Sion, would never leave her. I said that I hope that all of her learning and personal growth fully prepared her for what she called the 'real world'.
I reminded her that earlier in the year, Sr Patricia Watson, Sister of Our Lady of Sion, had come and spoken to our Year 12s and said, 'Even though you may leave Sion, Sion will never leave you!'
If you keep that in mind, then there’s no need to ever feel scared.
With any luck, the end of Lockdown 6 will be the last of Online Home Learning, however, once again we can proudly congratulate our staff and students on the way they have approached Online Home Learning and the sequences of learning that have taken place. As we near the Year 11 and later Year 10 examination time, and as we reach the period of assessment for Years 7-9, it is clear that our students have applied and tested their skills and knowledge, and have returned to onsite learning ready to take on the next challenge.
Teachers have been mindful of the conditions and modified the curriculum and assessment requirements accordingly, however, please speak with your daughter’s subject or Homeroom teacher if you have any concerns.
With the return of face-to-face classes, our Year 7 students flexed their learning muscles and designed STEAM solutions to real-life problems. They researched their issues, designed a range of responses, took feedback and made adjustments. Their pitches were all fantastic and the students should be proud of what they have done. Just flipping through the discard pile would inspire up and coming STEAM engineers! Moreover, the students worked collaboratively, mixed with social scaffolds and actively reengaged with their learning. Well done to all involved.
The Tutor Learn Numeracy and Literacy programs have been continuous under Online Home Learning and will be even better now that we are face-to-face. Students involved in the GRIN program have been attending online and will now work in their small groups with their teachers onsite. The Literacy Masterclasses will revert to face-to-face and focus on key literacy and communication skills. These are very popular sessions and are promoted through Homerooms. And as always, students can also attend Maths Assist after school and at lunchtimes.
As the Unit 3 and 4 students leap into their final exams, Years 10 and 11 students are winding up current learning for their exam period. Subject teachers will provide students with different strategies and techniques for revising skills and applying feedback, but if you are looking for some more ideas to engage your daughter in active strategies, you may find this website useful.
Post exams and as we look ahead to 2022, the Year 10 and 11 students will commence Smart Start to prepare for the demands of Year 11 and 12. Details of the Smart Start program will be sent to families and students in the coming week, including the timetable and expectations.
As our students return to school, a significant number have expressed concerns regarding building or rekindling friendships. It is not surprising that our students are feeling this way after nearly two years of a hybrid learning format that saw them learning for long periods of time from home, rather than collaboratively in the classroom.
Your daughter may have found it easy to slip back into a friendship group but for many, they will feel like they are starting from scratch. If your daughter is feeling disconnected, help her to remember that it will take time and that she is not alone in feeling this way.
Encourage your daughter to:
If, after several weeks, your daughter is not feeling settled in her friendships, I encourage parents to contact her Homeroom teacher for support and feedback. We want our students to feel at home at Our Lady of Sion College, and having good caring friends is an important part of a happy adolescence.
I would like to congratulate all families and, in particular, the members of the graduating Class of 2021 for the way in which they participated in last week’s celebrations. It was fantastic to be able to celebrate these events with them and to be able to acknowledge the conclusion of their secondary education in this style was so very exciting. Congratulations to our parents. Year 12 is a challenging enough year as it is, but given the circumstances throughout the year, you are to be so proud of yourselves, as parents, and so proud of what your daughter(s) have achieved. Well done!
The final VCAA exams commenced this week and with them, plenty of nervous energy has also come into play. But so has a calmness, sense of purpose and occasion. It is acceptable for our students to feel nervous as they attend their exams; it means they care. Keep encouraging your daughter(s) to stay strong with their process, to enjoy the journey and remind them that we are all here, ready to walk with them every step of the way. Remind them to celebrate after completing each exam, for each exam represents a point in time to celebrate all they (and you as a family) have done this year.
I would like to share the following four resources with you that will support the next few weeks.
Resources:
I encourage all family members to have a look at the three resources from Kidshelpline. In particular, the resource around sleep. I really encourage our students, with the support of all family members, to heavily invest in their sleep each night over their exam period. Cramming the night before, resulting in little sleep, will not help performance. Consistency with sleep, with time-bound study periods that are targeted on a specific goal each day, will help with a positive performance outcome.
The coming weeks will be challenging and emotions will fluctuate, but with each new day, a new opportunity will present itself to learn and grow. This exam period will help support our students' next step into adulthood and beyond the cherry red gates of Sion. However, these exams will not determine the type of people our students will become. When times get tough over the next few weeks, please remind the class members of 2021, just how resilient, aspiring, determined and connected they are. Remind them that they can choose the path they wish to walk by making that conscious decision to try their very best each and every day.
On behalf of all of the Year 12 Pastoral Team, we offer the following message: stay safe, be proud and always push your boundaries each and every day.
It was such a privilege to welcome back our Year 11 students full time last Friday!
We had a relaxed day, prioritising socialising with each other as well as getting back into the routine of school. The day involved a lot of talking, laughing and happiness as our students shed their anxieties about returning and enjoyed the ability to be in each other’s company. We had music playing (utilising the Formal playlist that we created earlier in the year), some special treats for everyone to enjoy, as well as the chance to appreciate the beautiful day with each other. The atmosphere was electric and there was an abundance of happy faces. I know many students went home exhausted at the end of the day, but we hope that was from being around other humans for a long period of time; something many of us have lacked for a while! As a welcome back surprise, the Year 11 Homeroom teachers presented each student in the year level with a small ‘welcome back gift’ that we hope sparked some joy and showed our students just how much we appreciate their return.
Recently, we had a current Year 12 student, Amy Toce, speak to our year level about the expectations that await our Year 11s as they near the beginning of Year 12. Amy was full of helpful advice, tips, resources and information that many Year 11 students found extremely beneficial. Amy had a genuine and open approach to her presentation and I would like to personally acknowledge Amy for her time and effort. Having the opportunity to hear about what it was like to experience Year 12 from a current student had a positive impact on many.
Following her presentation, Amy sent an email to the Year 11s (after formally finishing her time at school) to share these helpful points regarding the upcoming Year 11 exams that I would like to share with the community too.
Use these exams to:
We thank Amy very much for all of her assistance.
To conclude, while these exams are very important for our Year 11 students to ascertain how they have progressed in their learning, we hope that the focus is more about the experience and opportunity to apply the required skills in order for them to experience success in Year 12.
Best of luck to all!
Last Friday, the year level returned to school for a full day of classes with time to socialise and interact with their peers who they had not seen for over 70 days. With some music, morning tea and prayer, the day was full of energy and, as so many students commented, ‘good vibes’.
During our Pastoral session, the level listened to the speeches from the SRC leaders for Year 11 in 2022. The girls spoke extremely well, and now the level has to make a difficult choice on who will represent them next year.
Five Year 11 students volunteered to assist in a Q&A session on 'Life in VCE after a lockdown'. This was a great opportunity for the girls to share their experience and pass on tips and tricks for success next year as well as for the Year 10 students to ask questions.
Upon their return to school, students expressed a few concerns. These included stamina, access to food, COVID-19 anxiety, being disconnected from phones and pets, establishing a routine, renewing friendships, wearing a uniform, early starts and learning in a noisier environment. The Homeroom teachers will be doing their best to support our students' transition to face-to-face learning.
It has been so lovely to have our Year 9 students back onsite this week. There has been a real buzz in the Year 9 area and we are excited for the students to return in a full time capacity on Wednesday 3 November.
Last Friday at our assembly, I launched two opportunities for our students for Year 10, 2022. Applications have been made available for the students this week to apply to be part of the Peer Support Program and to become a Talk and Tour Guide. Although these roles are very different in nature, both promote growth in taking on responsibility and leadership within our school community. If your daughter is interested in either of these roles, a reminder that applications need to be submitted by Friday 5 November.
Hopefully, you are aware that Subject Confirmation was given to the students earlier this week. If any students had queries regarding this confirmation, they were given the opportunity to address this during lunchtime on Wednesday 27 October with Ms Bernadette Anderson. There have also been a number of queries relating to technological devices for your daughters in Year 10 and information will be communicated to you via the IT Support Team in the near future.
I hope your daughters have found the transition back to school a positive experience. Please remember to reach out to your daughter’s Homeroom teacher or me, if they are experiencing any challenges on their return to school.
AND WE’RE BACK!
What an exciting week it was with the Year 8s officially back on campus for the first time in months.
It was fantastic to feel the buzz in the Emmanuel Learning Centre again and to hear laughter amongst the students.
This week’s pastoral lesson had a focus on reconnecting with one another, acknowledging students' emotions and focusing on the future. It was fantastic to see the students expressing their thoughts and feelings but also using the time back at school to spend time with friends and bond over shared experiences.
As parents and guardians, a way you can help with the transition back to school is to have open conversations with your child about how they are feeling. Although it is difficult, try to reach a balance between supporting your child but also giving them the opportunity to find their feet in time. For all of us, this is unchartered territory and we will work together to support each student the best we can in adjusting to the return of face-to-face learning.
Thank you for your continued support.
It has certainly been fantastic having our Year 7s back at school, the Emmanuel Learning Centre has been buzzing since their return! It has been great to see them all getting back into a school routine over the last week. Their excitement, laughter and cheerful attitude have definitely brightened up the College as they continue to reconnect with their friends and teachers.
From last Friday until this Tuesday, our Year 7 students worked in groups on the Horizons Program where they were approached by the local council to put forward a proposal for a new project in the Box Hill community. They took ideas from companies that are focused on improving the lives of their residents through new technologies and innovations using STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) in the following areas:
I was very impressed with their ideas and the pitches they made to ‘sell’ their innovation! They should all be proud of the work they put in and their collaborative spirit. It has also been a great way to ease them back into face-to-face learning which poses a different set of challenges to Online Home Learning. Please encourage them to speak with their Homeroom teacher or me, if they require any support in their transition back to school.
Congratulations to all Year 7 students who completed the challenge of the Horizons Program on Tuesday.
The first three days back onsite saw students grouped together in teams of four to consider a design brief centred around the question ‘How can STEAM help the community?’ Guided through the design thinking process with prompts and workshops, students developed products using science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics to design innovations to support the Box Hill community.
Their final-day pitches impressed the judging panel with 7 Red’s GermGone taking out the Overall Excellence Award with their innovative idea of combining hygiene and eco-friendly transport into a one-stop community bike box where consumers can hire bikes, scooters and wheelchairs sanitised between uses or choose to sanitise their own items. Special mention went to 7 White’s Community House who won the Social Justice Award, and to 7 Blue’s Safety Zone group who received the Student Choice Award.
Last week our Year 9 students enjoyed some virtual city experiences as part of their studies Melbourne, the city we live in. Students and staff first heard from representatives from The Salvation Army about the ongoing issue of homelessness in our city. Grace and Janoel, who both also work at the Salvo’s Lighthouse Café where free meals are provided three times a day to those experiencing hardship, spoke of the need to challenge the stereotypes that exist around those experiencing homelessness – particularly age, gender, causes and sleeping situations.
In the following lesson, we were treated to a virtual tour of the Shrine of Remembrance. Through Google Earth and 3D virtual tours within the Shrine, students and staff were given an appreciation of the grandeur, symbolism and significance of this special place in the city. During the presentation by the volunteers from the Shrine, particular focus was given to the role of service women in the world wars, highlighting their contribution as medics and on the home front.
To finish, students completed a scavenger hunt through the virtual city of Melbourne created in Minecraft. The scaled rendition of Melbourne provided students with an opportunity to walk the streets and view the icons of Melbourne in a new way.
Last week, the College celebrated Creative Arts and Technologies Week, or CAT Week as it’s affectionately called.
Over 1,500 artworks were created during the week via the competitions offered including our 1-minute Artwork competition and our inaugural House GooseChase competition which you can read more about in Mr Nguyen’s article.
The week was a great opportunity to celebrate all our students' achievements across the year and, in particular, those of our VCE students who have shown incredible commitment and passion in their folio work and final presentations. We encourage all members of our community to view the VCE works online via: https://www.artsatsion.com/galleries-of-vce-work
As part of our annual CAT week celebrations each year, the College honours five Year 12 students in the following categories:
The first award presented has been selected by Mr John McInerney and is titled the Social Justice Award given to a Visual Arts student whose work reflects the College’s mission statement and the call to act for change.
From Mr McInerney:
I would like to nominate Meg P 12R for the award. In the area of Social Justice, we believe strongly in the principle of respecting the Dignity of the Human Person. This piece attempts to highlight an appreciation to value the self-worth of all people – not based on looks or wealth or anything material. It highlights the importance of embracing all of God’s creation and appreciating the beauty within.
Each year, College Principal Mrs Apostolopoulos selects the recipient of the Principal’s Choice Award, which holds great prestige. These are usually the same artworks we consider for the Creative Arts Spotlight Award.
From Mrs Apostolopoulos:
I would like the Principal's Choice Award to go to Larissa H 12P. Larissa’s painting reminds me of the serenity I experienced a number of years ago when travelling through Japan. While many temples in Japan are very ornate and use vibrant colours, Larissa has cleverly captured the peace and tranquillity that can be experienced within the temples with her muted colours. Over the last two years, we have experienced great change and upheaval in our lives. Larissa’s painting allows me to appreciate the need for stillness and prayer in our lives. The way the temple ‘hangs’ so precariously from the landscape reminds me how precious and fragile these moments of being close to the divine can be.
This award is given to a student who demonstrates an outstanding use of technology.
This year the Sion Technologies award goes to Dominique P 12P for her Media photographic series 'Janus'.
Dom has played with light in these photographs, capturing a stunning array of tones which she has further enhanced in post-production.
Find below Dom’s artist statement regarding her media work:
Janus is an artistic depiction of my grandmother’s own experience with dementia, conveying the ideas of memory degradation and time through different motifs. I wanted this piece to portray a unique take on the disease to display the implications of dementia on one’s life.
This award showcases and celebrates excellence in design and design-led innovation.
This year our awardee is Bridget M 12P for her environmental and communication design works.
Bridget has employed a wide range of methods including printmaking, model making, the hand generation of type as well as various rendering techniques. Her innovative brief selection and application of the design process are to be applauded.
Read more from Bridget’s Brief below:
The client, Florence Wright established ‘Fig Tree Farm,’ a luxury retirement village located in Brunswick Heads, New South Wales. Driven by a passion for health and wellness, Florence aims to ensure the residents remain engaged in their community which promotes connection and purpose.
The client requested a possible interior and exterior design for a single story unit located on the property. The units must be large enough to accommodate for at least two residents, be spacious and also reflective of the surrounding naturalistic environment.
The client also required a logo design for the ‘Fig Tree Farm Lawn Bowls Club.’ This logo design, which will be featured on the Lawn Bowls uniforms, should be minimalist in nature, clearly legible, and be adaptable to fit within various contexts as requested by the client.
The final award presented is the Artist Spotlight Award, selected by our Visual Arts Staff and is the highest honour bestowed on a work in this year’s gallery.
The Artist Spotlight awardee is Maya B 12B – Cut Short, Studio Arts.
The complexity of Maya's use of materials and techniques combined with the strength of her ideas and commitment has resulted in the installation artwork 'Cut Short'. As Maya said:
This artwork represents my Year 12 journey and is part of me. The artwork is the result of months of planning and production. Over 20 meters of muslin fabric was dyed navy using an ice melt technique which created the tonal variety. Cut into 16cm squares, a fabric stiffener was applied to allow the precise folding of over 350 origami cranes. Each crane was threaded with fishing line and suspended through a piece of plywood in the precise undulating arrangement to emphasise the gradation of colour and the effects of mental illness.
These awards will be formally presented at the 2022 Top Achievers assembly to the Year 12 student recipients. Thank you to all the Visual Arts staff, students and both our Visual Arts and House Captains for their support of CAT week. We hope the artworks that have been created bring joy and inspiration to everyone in our community.
Recently, students from all year levels participated in National Bird Week activities. This included The Aussie Backyard Bird Count and a dress-up competition. The bird count involved students spending time in their backyards or somewhere local and counting, then logging their findings on the Aussie Backyard Bird count website. Students found, with the help of a very comprehensive website, that they were able to identify a number of bird species and while doing so, also importantly, contribute to citizen science. Many bird species are becoming endangered and disappearing due to the destruction of their habitat, so it’s important that researchers can get a clear picture of what is happening so that issues might be addressed.
In addition to the bird count, students also had the opportunity to dress up as a bird, using everyday clothes that they had at home. All entries were creative and inspiring. Congratulations to Angelica N 7G, who was the winner!
Applications are now open and being accepted for Instrumental Music lessons in 2022. All of the details including fees and instrument hire charges are available in the official brochure which is available on the College website here. Confirmation of enrolment needs to be completed at this link. Please note that charges will be applied to your College fees statement in early 2022. Please address any enquiries to the Head of Music: mmacaulay@sion.catholic.edu.au
Please be advised that a number of scholarships for two years of instrumental music tuition in 2022 (both full and half-scholarships) are available for students currently in Years 7, 8 and 9 for the following instruments:
Interested students please email Mr Macaulay mmacaulay@sion.catholic.edu.au for an application form.
Congratulations to the 35 students that participated in the Term 4 Soiree earlier this week. We were treated to some outstanding performances, including some of the Year 11 Music class presenting pieces that they have composed as part of their Unit 2 coursework. The private YouTube link is available for viewing for the next three weeks here.
As we come out of lockdown, it has been fantastic that many music students have developed skills in recording individual parts from their respective ensembles at home. These have been drawn together to produce amazing remote video performances. Congratulations to members of the Senior Concert Band for their latest video:
The second in a series to acknowledge the outstanding service of our incredible Year 12 musicians from the VCE Class of 2021.
The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be ignited. Plutarch (Philosopher)
Students and families can find the Fortnightly Careers newsletter at https://olsccareers.com/newsletter
In this fortnight's newsletter, there is information relating to:
Our 2022 Sports Captains, Mia M and Sienna S, attended a Sport4All webinar last Wednesday discussing the importance of inclusion with sporting organisations. The captains recounted their experience below:
We are thrilled to be Sports Co-captains for 2022! Exciting things in Sport at Sion are already underway after we attended the 'Sport4All' webinar last Wednesday. With a focus on providing opportunities for inclusion in sport, we heard the diverse stories of four Paralympians and their experiences in sport, from grassroots to the Tokyo Games. What they shared was both inspiring and eye-opening, affirming that sport must foster an inclusive culture that establishes support networks that can lead to long term fulfillment and health benefits. Individuals are not defined by their abilities and they do not have to be held back. 'Sport4All' celebrates the positive connections everyone has the right to enjoy through engaging in sport. At Sion, we wish to continue to foster our inclusive sporting environment and encourage everyone to step outside of their comfort zone and give things a go in a supportive space. We’re very excited to see what 2022 brings!
Mia M and Sienna S
At this stage, it is appearing unlikely the Term 4 GSV Cricket and Basketball competition will proceed due to current restrictions. As an alternative, we are working with Year 7 and 8 Sports Representatives to offer an internal lunchtime tournament played in Homeroom teams.
We will continue morning workouts (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) once the operational guidelines permit physical activity in a group setting. Keep an eye out on your emails and on year level Google classrooms for further information.
Once again, COVID-19 has had a significant impact on our community. Christmas this year will be difficult for some within our community as we re-emerge and adjust to COVID-normal.
This year, the St Vincent de Paul Society in Box Hill has received many phone calls for assistance from people who have been affected by the pandemic. Members of the community have lost their jobs or have had their hours reduced drastically, and those who were finding it difficult to find work have found it impossible to gain employment. There is also a large number of homeless people now being housed in local hotels and apartments. Many of those seeking assistance do not qualify for Centrelink benefits and therefore rely on the help of the St Vincent de Paul Society to support them.
This year, through our annual Vinnies Christmas Appeal, we will be holding a food drive and seeking donations of non-perishable foods and toiletries. The food drive will run from 3-12 November. Donations are to be left in the Chapel. These donations will be made up into food parcels which will be distributed to those in need within the Box Hill community.
We ask that the following items be donated by the year levels.
Year 7
Year 9
Year 10
Year 11
Our Lady of Sion College has a long tradition of providing support to the St Vincent de Paul Society during the Christmas period. In keeping with tradition and the charism of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion, we invite all students, parents and staff to contribute to this year’s food drive.
The first 2022 House Cup points were up from grabs, by way of the House Goosechase competition. This is a new initiative we added to the Creative Arts and Technology Week program which saw 67 fierce competitors represent their House to become the ultimate Goose.
We observed some very competitive chasing, which led to the leader board rankings change every couple of minutes. The missions ranged from ‘Taking a photo of an artwork that demonstrates the art element of line’, worth 250 points to ‘Upload a time-lapse of you completing an observational drawing of a pair of scissors’, worth 10,000 points. Student submissions flowed in at an extraordinary rate across the two days, highlighting the resilient House spirit across all four Houses, even during Online Home Learning.
I would like to thank both Miss Borg, the Visual Arts and House Representatives for their contributions to this year’s competition. It is my pleasure to announce the inaugural winner of the House Goosechase competition is Loreto House! Congratulations to Loreto and to all competitors. We look forward to some more chasing next year.
A few days ago, our Year 12 (and some Year 11) VCE students began sitting their final exams. This may be a stressful time for them, and for families. As it can be challenging to know how to support your daughter(s) during this period, I have compiled some tips and resources to help along the way.
Please find below some links with further tips and suggestions.
https://www.parentline.com.au/older-kids/issues/helping-kids-cope-exam-stress
https://healthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au/healthy-homes/supporting-study
https://theparentswebsite.com.au/andrew-fuller-how-to-deal-with-exam-stress-and-anxiety/
If have any concerns or would like to discuss any of this further, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your child's Homeroom teacher, their Wellbeing and Growth Leader or a member of the Counselling Team.
